Christmas Baking: Florentine Christmas Fruitcake

As early as August is when the stores and supermarkets here begin stocking up on Christmas-ware and food treats. It’s crazy in September as I see scary chocolate ghosts and pumpkins lined along the shelves with smiling Santas and cute snowmen. I often wonder if people really indulge in Christstollen, lebkuchen and co. when the heat is on in the sweltering months.

I can’t imagine anyone in the mood for a cool refreshing beer and bratwürst fresh off a grill in the sultry warm summer evening, thinking about trick or treat goodies and craving a marzipan stollen all at the same time.

Yes, it does have very much to do with the state of the mind. However, my mind is not really geared for Christmas goodies when I am still trying to hold onto the last of the summer goodness.

I block it out. Seventeen years in Germany and I have become a master in simply ignoring Christmas comestibles and baubles in the middle of August. The chocolate snowmen will have to smile long and hard for me to take notice of them when all I have eyes for are the delicious summer berries and light desserts.

Eventually, it happens though. Usually towards the end of November, I am taken in by the merriness and the Yule tidings. “Last Christmas” plays it’s infinite loop on the radio and the stores are filled with aggressive and unfriendly people, armed with their elbows to jab you in the ribs if you even dare to look at their object of desire.

The overcrowded Weihnachtsmarkt makes it close to impossible to rush into town to do a few quick errands, but boy does it smell good. The air is filled with a heavenly scent of spices and baked delicacies and my mood switches - just like that.

Humming with the infinite loop on the radio, we bring down our winter decoration and begin to spruce up the house. The hand carved woodenRäuchermann takes his place on the bookshelf and dried tangerines and limes are arranged in bowls along with candles and wooden ornaments.

In the kitchen the counter is packed with a variety of dried fruit, nuts, sugar and spice. Together with an over excited 8 year old, we begin to make a list of all the treats we want to bake. The list is long. Presents, special thank-yous, little surprises and big treats for friends and family – there really is nothing better then little packed boxes and bags of baked delicacies.

We’ll spend a whole weekend in a baking frenzy with specks of flour on the cheeks and chocolate trails around the lips. Yes, I could have started baking weeks ago – but then I was busy enjoying Summer and Autumn. But now, as the hills are topped with snow, the cold air tingles with a crispness and the neat little houses sparkle with colorful fairy lights in the twilight, I feel the onset of Christmas.

Each year I make a traditional fruitcake. One that is very dear to my heart as you will read in that particular post. But the experimentalist in me is forever looking for ways to improve a winning recipe. Sometimes the experiments work and sometimes they don’t but one thing is for sure I always come out of the experiments wiser.

I understand in the USA fruitcakes are frowned upon and not very highly regarded. How could a delight of divine spices, fruit and nuts, with a drizzle of booze not hit the right notes?

This is a revamped version of the traditional fruitcake I have been making for the past several years. Over the years I have made small changes to the cake but this year I took it to an entirely new level. Dried cherries, blueberries, cranberries and raisins, speckled with candied orange peel and ginger, and luscious marzipan give the cake a moist and sublime flavor. The topping is a take on the famous Florentine biscuit, in my version I use whole salted macadamia nuts, pecans, sliced almonds and hazelnuts and Maraschino cherries.

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly butter and line the base and sides of a deep round cake form with a loose bottom (22cm) with baking paper.

In a bowl whisk the sugar, butter, flour, eggs, ground almonds and spices with an electric hand held beater. Whisk the mixture until the ingredients are thoroughly incorporated and it is thick and creamy.

Weigh about 100g of the batter into a smaller bowl and set it aside for the topping.

In the rest of the batter fold in the fruit and rum using a spatula, then gently stir in the marzipan. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake form, smoothing the top with the spatula. Bake the cake for approx. 1 to 1.5 hours (mine took about 1.25 hours).

In the meantime, mix all the nuts and Maraschino cherries with the 100g cake batter that was reserved to make the topping. Pour in the treacle and maple syrup and stir until everything is coated well.

Once the cake has baked for 1-1.5 hours remove from oven and spoon the topping mixture over the top, distributing it evenly. Cover loosely with some aluminum foil and place bake in the over for another 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes to brown the nuts. The cake is ready when a wooden skewer inserted in the middle of it comes out clean.

Cool cake completely in tin, then turn it out and cover tightly with foil. The cake will keep for 1-2 weeks stored in a cool dry place.

Verdict

A jewel! It’s all I can say about this. I was extremely pleased with the results and baking it was a real breeze. It definitely is a rich and full bodied cake but the perfect treat for a relaxing Sunday afternoon after a long walk in the cold crisp winter air. A warming pot of spiced tea and slices of this cake will put a smile on the faces of your loved ones. The pairing of the crunchy topping and soft, fruity and moist cake is magnificent. The best part is – the cake keeps for a few weeks and it only gets better.

If you are wondering where I got those lovely bamboo and wooden props in my prep photos above let me direct you over to Restaurantware.com. It's a treasure chest for props. I especially love their Bamboo items.

Next week there’s more Christmas baking here on What’s For Lunch, Honey? so stay tuned as I share a variety of delicious cookies.

59 comments:

My only problem with you Meeta, is that I will never ever dare to cook for you. I'm sure others have told you the same :D But if we happen to be in the same kitchen some day, I'll be an happy assistant! I will have to try this cake - we are going to my parents for Christmas, and I'm sure my family will love this! And oh, your pictures....

I simply adore your second photo Meeta - you've really managed to capture the pure spirit of Christmas. Not sure why Americans aren't into fruitcakes, but boy are they missing out! I love 'em even though I only ever get to eat them in summer. As you say - a combo of booze, fruit & nuts can never be wrong.

This is one splendid cake and it is bookmarked. I want to bake it right now, but i am not sure I will be able to this time before Christmas, but I will HAVE to do it even if it has to be after the holidays. I really do not know how the fruit cakes are frowned upon; for me it is no Christmas without a fruit cake. Love the abundance of nuts and spices in this cake Meeta, and what a pretty post. The spirit, the flavors and the chime of the season so well captured.

This cake is shouting holidays, snow and peace to me.There's some thing totally serene in your photos.I have no idea how you manage that but they are soo soo pleasing to the eyes.Loved every bit of it..fruits,nuts and festivity!

Meeta, your fruitcake looks very delicious, such an exquisite styling too! And that's the same about me that I always try to prolong summer in every available way until winter simply cannot be ignored :)Have a wonderful holiday preparations!Cheers,Zara

Oh baby - I am not a fan of Christmas cake, but there is NOTHING I don't like about Florentines! This looks absolutely fantastic. had to laugh - in South African it's not an endless loop of "Last Christmas" that announces the festive season - it's a loop of Boney M singing Mary's Boy Child :o)

i have to admit, i don't really know much about fruitcake - and now that i think about it, i'm not even sure i've ever tasted it before. this one sure looks like a good place to start ! the top of that cake is outrageous !! and the inside looks dense and super moist and chock full of goodies.

and i am with you, time to let the christmas season be here for real and enjoy it - the cold, snow and all ! munching on some christmas cookies (zimtsterne) as i write this even, miam miam... =)

Your post just took me right to Germany with you. I loved hearing about celebrations on another continent! And you're right, this fruit cake does put all the other, bad reputationed-versions of it to shame! Looks gorgeous

Let me start off by saying the recipe sounds wonderful and I will let you know how it turns out for me in a few days when I make it.Also I would have to say I agree with you with regards to the crazy notion that its ok to put chocolate santa's out in September.

This fruitcake is truly tempting (I wish I had a piece of it right now!) but it's true what you say about fruitcake in North America. In Canada, at least, many seem to fear fruitcake as well as dislike it! Friends give us pannetone every year, but I end up eating almost all of it, trying in vain to entice other people with toasted pannetone, or French bread pannetone, or bread pudding pannetone. I've given up baking fruitcake or Christmas pudding, as so few of my friends and family will actually eat it (and those of us who do end up eating more than we want to!), although I've had better success with panforte, for some reason.

God this is just toooo pretty. I'm loving that granola topping which has browned perfectly! I'm feeling terribly guilty that I've downright ignored all of Christmas and not made a fruitcake or my mince pies (yet!)

Thank you all for all your lovely comments! You still have time to make this cake. THAT is the beauty of it - you do not have to make it weeks in advance. So if you've missed making your XMAS cakes do this now - you will not regret it.

I truly do wonder why christmas goods seem to come out earlier and earlier every year. Soon they will start stocking them in stores the second that the new year has passed! craziness. I'm not ready for Christmas until just about now...which is when the serious cravings for peppermint and gingerbread start to hit. This fruitcake sounds divine and is filled with all sorts of luscious gems!

Hello. I am a follower of your blog. I haven't made any comments yet but this post has me intrigued. As a fairly accomplished fruit cake maker myself, I do feel that your oven temperature is too high, that being set at 180degrees. Also did you mean fan forced or convention? I think it is better to bake at a slower temp for a longer period. Always in a conventional oven. Also lining the cake tin twice offers the cake better protection. I hope you don't mind me voicing my opinion. I must say, I do like the sound of your chosen fruits.

Love reading all your comments and thoughts of fruitcake. thank you so much!

Mariana - the 180C works for my oven and gave me perfect results. I have a fan forced oven. As not all ovens are the same you might have to adjust the temperature to suit your own oven. Your advice and comments are always appreciated. Thank you!

Adele, I am flattered that this will be the cake!! Hope you all enjoy it. No I did not wrap this in newspaper as I did the traditional one. This bakes quite nicely and evenly. Let me know if you require anything else.

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...